Fenced-in Pride party area ‘divisive and confining’

Critics say six-foot high opaque fence on Davie is unnecessary

Andrew Parker, owner of The Dish on Davie St. in Vancouver. He is among those who feel the gay pride fence cages in people and causes a big drop in business when it goes up starting about 4 p.m. on the day of the event ,which this year is Friday, Aug. 1.

Photograph by: NICK PROCAYLO
, PNG

VANCOUVER -- A fence that has been described as the antithesis of Pride’s philosophy of openness and inclusion will be put up again during the August street festival, despite complaints about its height and obtrusiveness.

The six-foot metal fence with blue plastic meshing surrounds the licensed drinking area of the Davie Street Block Party. The fence runs along both sides of Davie between Burrard and Thurlow.

Vancouverite Brad Teeter said the fence couldn’t send a worse message about being gay — especially in the heart of the gay village.

“Every other street is about welcoming and transparency,” Teeter said. “Instead, we put up a wall. I’m repulsed. I can’t believe it is still happening.”

He described the fence as divisive and confining and the antithesis of Pride’s message of bringing people together. Putting up a “wall” on Davie Street is tantamount to going back in the closet and being ashamed of being gay, he said in an interview.

“Last year, I was just horrified by the size of the fence and the fact that there is sheeting so you can’t see through it,” he said.

“People are squeezed into the narrow sidewalks and can’t see what’s going on.”

Andrew Parker, owner of The Dish on Davie, said when the fence goes up around 4 p.m. on the day of the block party, business at his restaurant drops to almost nothing. He said the fence cages people in and discourages them from walking on the sidewalk and going to local businesses.

Parker, who has owned The Dish for 23 years, said he doesn’t understand why other cities such as Toronto and Montreal can have street parties without putting fences up and caging people in.

“You’ll have less problems when you treat people with dignity and allow them the leeway to go out and enjoy it than you will if you cage them in,” he said.

“It’s not a win-win situation for any of the businesses. I think we all dread it.”

Ray Lam, general manager of the Vancouver Pride Society, said because of provincial and civic requirements, the society has no choice but to put up the fence again.

Lam said the Pride Society would like to move to a more open event similar to what takes place in cities such as Montreal.

“It’s really difficult with the environment we have in B.C.,” he said.

Even recent changes to B.C. liquor laws aren’t helping. While fenceless beer gardens are now possible in B.C., they can occur only in an area that’s already fenced in. He cited the Dragon Boat Festival, which has a fenced in stage so doesn’t have to have another separate fence around its licensed area.

“The thing that a lot of people don’t realize is that we don’t like the fencing or meshing either,” he said.

Lam said Vancouver police require a fence six feet high to stop people from passing drinks outside the licensed area. The meshing — a requirement of the Festival Expediting Staff Team (FEST) Committee chaired by the city’s engineering department — is intended to block what’s going on in the licensed area so people don’t congregate on the sidewalk and impede pedestrians, including those in wheelchairs.

Years ago, Lam said, the Pride Society proposed putting up fencing at either end of the licensed area and using the buildings along Davie as the fence. That plan has been proposed and rejected several times by the FEST Committee, Lam said.

“Every year, we go back to the city with similar modifications,” he said.

“A couple of years ago, we realized the liquor laws weren’t changing. That’s why we introduced the community area.”

For Pride 2014, the licensed area has been reduced to one block from two blocks. With a smaller size, capacity is down to 1,500 from 3,000.

In addition, the block party includes two blocks of open, unfenced area from Thurlow to Jervis (Thurlow remains open to traffic) with games, close to 30 vendors, a stage at Bute Plaza and an all ages dance area in the Rainbow Intersection.

Last year, 5,000 people paid $20 to get into the licensed block party. This year, the price is down to $10. The Davie Street Block Party takes place Friday, Aug. 1 from 4 p.m. to midnight. It’s licensed to serve beer, wine and coolers.

The Vancouver Pride Society organizes about 20 events during the summer months including the annual Pride Parade and Sunset Beach Festival and Market. The VPS brings together lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two-spirited and queer members of the community and their friends and supporters.

The 36th annual Pride Parade takes place Sunday, Aug. 3 from 12 noon to 3 p.m. It follows a route along Robson, Denman and Beach to Sunset Beach.

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Andrew Parker, owner of The Dish on Davie St. in Vancouver. He is among those who feel the gay pride fence cages in people and causes a big drop in business when it goes up starting about 4 p.m. on the day of the event ,which this year is Friday, Aug. 1.

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